Solicitors charging six times more than peers

Some solicitors are charging up to six times more than others for the same basic services, a price survey by the National Consumer Agency shows.

However, as solicitors are not obliged to disclose their fees in advance of a detailed consultation, prospective clients have difficulty shopp-ing around for the best deal.

There was widespread reluctance among the legal profession to engage with the survey, in which 329 firms were asked to participate between October and December last year.